Mexican 2 peso coin
Mexico |value= $2.00 |years= *1919–1948 *1992–present |mass= |diameter= |thickness= |composition= |shape= round |alignment= coin |obverse= , state title (1919-1948, 1992-present) *coat of arms of Mexico, state title, "MDCCCXXI-MXMXXI" (1921) * , value, year (1993) }} |reverse= , value, year (1919-1948) * , value (1921) *Value, year (1992-present) *coat of arms of Mexico, state title (1993) }} }} The 2 peso coin was first issued by the United Mexican States from 1919 to 1948. Coins of the denomination were not minted again until 1992, when a new peso currency was introduced. From that point forward, Mexico has continued to produce 2 peso coins for general circulation. History First 2 peso coin (1919-1948) The first 2 peso coin of Mexico was introduced in 1919, during the late of . It was issued until 1920, but later reintroduced in 1944 and reportedly minted until 1948, even though no 1948 specimens are currently known. In addition, a number of 1945-dated restrikes were produced from 1951 to 1972, in 1996, and from 2000 to 2009. The coin is composed of .900 fine gold, weighs approximately 1.6666 grams, and measures about 13 millimeters in diameter. An image of the , which consists of an perched upon a while devouring a , accompanied by an and below, is featured on the obverse. Above the arms is the title "ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS" (English: "United Mexican States"). The value "DOS PESOS" is inscribed in the center of a wreath on the reverse. Above the value is the date, and directly below the wreath is the "Mo" mint mark of the Mexican Mint. At least 6,340,000 original examples and at least 4,850,493 restrikes were produced. The only recorded variety other than the standard is an overdated 1920 coin that features the year stamped over a "1910". Centenario coin (1921) :See also: Centenario In 1921, the Bank of Mexico commissioned the Mexican Mint to strike commemorative 2 peso coins celebrating the 100th anniversary of the end of the , which ultimately resulted in Mexico's independence from Spain per the of 1821. It was accompanied by a gold 50 peso coin of similar design. The 2 peso coin is composed of .900 fine silver, weighs 26.6666 grams, and measures 39 millimeters in diameter. It was designed by Mexican artist Emilio del Moral. The coat of arms of Mexico is displayed in the center of the obverse, and inside it, near the eagle's head is the "Mo" mint mark. The title "ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS" is inscribed around the coin's upper periphery, and the dates "MDCCCXXI" and "MCMXXI" are printed at the coin's bottom rim. An image of (English: "The Angel of Independence"), a monument located in downtown , is engraved in the center of the reverse, with the famous and rising in the background. The value "DOS PESOS" is printed to the left of El Ángel, and the words "24 Gr. PLATA PURA" (English: "24 grams of pure silver") are inscribed to the right. In total, approximately 1,278,000 examples of the coin were produced. Pre-Columbian bullion coin series (1993-1998) The Bank of Mexico introduced its pre-Columbian bullion coin series in 1992 and disbanded it in 1998. Such coins commemorated the cultures and civilizations that thrived in Mexico before Spanish settlement, and were further divided into six more series: Aztec, Central Veracruz, Mayan, Olmec, Teotihuacan, and Toltec. Two peso coins of the commemorative bullion series are composed of .999 fine silver, weigh 15.42 grams, and measure 32.9 millimeters in diameter. The obverse of each coin consists of the Mexican coat of arms with the title "ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS" inscribed above, all engraved within a frame (the shape of which depends on the series) surrounded by a decorative border. Underneath the frame are the inscriptions "½ ONZA DE PLATA" (English: "½ ounce of silver") and "LEY 0.999", both of which indicate the coin's silver content and purity. The value, inscribed as "N$2" from 1993 to 1994 and just as "$2" from 1996 to 1998, is displayed near the coin's rim on the reverse, underneath a frame identical in shape to that on the coin's obverse. Aztec series coin (1993) The Aztec series of coins commemorated the indigenous of Mexico, who dominated large parts of from the 14th to 16th centuries. The series began in 1992 and continued into 1993. During the latter of those two years, the 2 nuevo peso coin of the series was introduced. A right-facing image of an , a special class of soldier in the Aztec army, is featured at the left center inside a D-shaped frame. To the left of the image is either an "Mo" mint mark or no mint mark, depending on whether or not the coin was struck in proof quality. To the right is the date, and below is the inscription "GUERRERO ÁGUILA" (English: "eagle warrior") printed in small lettering. In total, only 2400 examples were produced: 1500 in uncirculated condition (with mark) and 800 in proof (without mark) quality. Central Veracruz series coin (1993) Following the conclusion of the Aztec series of coins, the Bank of Mexico launched and concluded its Central Veracruz series in 1993. It commemorated the , which thrived in Mexico from about 100 to 1000 AD. A image of an ancient Mesoamerican deity from is displayed in the center of a D-shaped frame on the reverse. The date "1993" is inscribed at the upper left of the image, and the "Mo" mint mark of the Mexican Mint is printed at the top right. The words "BAJORRELIEVE DE EL TAJÍN" (English: "bas-relief of El Tajín") are printed below the image. In total, approximately 103,010 examples were produced, including 100,005 uncirculated and 3005 proof specimens. Mayan series coin (1994) The pre-Columbian bullion coin series was continued in 1994 by the Bank of Mexico in 1994, when it introduced a series of coins commemorating the , which was established between 2000 and 250 BC and thrived until the arrival of the Spanish beginning in the 16th century. The series' 2 peso coin features an image of a , a type of stone statue located in and around many post-Classic Maya sites, in the center of a frame. The coin's year of minting is inscribed to the left of the statue, while the mint mark is written to the right. The caption "CHAAC MOOL" is inscribed below. In total, about 32,500 specimens were struck: 30,000 in uncirculated quality and 2500 in proof quality. Olmec series coin (1996-1998) After a year of pause, the Bank of Mexico continued its pre-Columbian bullion coin series in 1996 with a series commemorating the Mexican civilization, which thrived from circa 1500 BC to 400 BC. The 2 peso coin of the series was later struck again in 1998. An image of , commonly referred to as the "Señor de las Limas" in the Spanish language, is featured in the center of a roughly square-shaped frame. The year of minting is inscribed to the left of the statue, while the "Mo" mint mark is depicted to the right. Underneath the figure are the words "SEÑOR DE LAS LIMAS". In total, 11,000 examples were produced: 6400 uncirculated and 2200 proof coins in 1996 and 2400 uncirculated pieces in 1998. Teotihuacan series coin (1997-1998) The Bank of Mexico introduced its fifth series of pre-Columbian bullion coins in 1997, which commemorated , an archaeological site located in the believed to have lasted from 100 BC to the 7th or 8th century AD. Many of the coins in the series, including the 2 peso coin, continued to be struck until 1998. An image of a disk with a skull in its center, an ancient artifact recovered from the in Teotihuacan, is featured in the middle of an oval-shaped frame on the reverse. The date is displayed to the left of the disk, while the "Mo" mint mark is featured to its right. Underneath the image of the disk, near the bottom of the frame is the text "DISCO DE LA MUERTE" (English: "death disk"). A total of approximately 7500 examples were struck: 3000 uncirculated and 1600 proof specimens in 1997 and 2400 uncirculated and 500 proof pieces in 1998. Toltec series coin (1998) The Bank of Mexico concluded its pre-Columbian bullion coin series in 1998 with a final series commemorating the ancient culture, which is believed to have existed from 800 to 1000 AD. An image of a relief of a , a highly respected animal in many indigenous Mesoamerican cultures, including that of the Toltec, is displayed inside a somewhat frame. The year of minting is printed to the left of the relief, and the mint mark is inscribed to the right. Near the bottom of the frame is the word "JAGUAR" printed with small lettering. Only about 8600 examples were minted: 6400 uncirculated pieces and 2200 proofs. Circulation coins of the second peso (1992-present) The Bank of Mexico commissioned the Mexican Mint to begin production of a new 2 peso coin in 1992, the first coin of the denomination since 1948. Such coins would later be issued in 1993, when a new national currency, the nuevo peso, was introduced. The 2 peso coin is bimetallic, consisting of an aluminum-bronze center composed of 92% copper, 6% aluminum, and 2% nickel surrounded by a stainless steel outer ring. It weighs a total of 5.19 grams, the ring making up 2.81 of those grams and the center constituting for the remaining 2.38 grams. The coin measures 23 millimeters in diameter and 1.4 millimeters in thickness. A majority of the Mexican coat of arms is engraved in the aluminum-bronze center of the obverse. Above it, inside the stainless steel ring, is the title "ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS", and below, also in the ring, are and leaves tied together with a ribbon, the only portion of the arms not present in the center. The value, inscribed as "N$2" from 1992 to 1995, and simply as "$2" from 1996 to the present, is featured in the center of the reverse, with the year of minting inscribed above and the "Mo" mint mark printed to the right. A stylized image of the "Ring of Days" in the is detailed on the outer ring. A total of 201,006,981 2 peso coins bearing the "N$2" value were produced from 1992 to 1995, including 6981 proofs from 1995, while a reported 1,147,895,000 1 peso coins were minted between 1996 and 2010. Such coins continue to be produced and circulated in Mexico. References *NumisMaster *Numismatic Guaranty Corporation website Category:20th century coins Category:21st century coins Category:Aluminum-bronze Category:Bimetallic Category:Coins of Mexico Category:Coins with coin alignment Category:Coins with Gregorian dates Category:Coins with Spanish inscriptions Category:Dated coins Category:Gold Category:Mexican peso Category:Round coins Category:Silver Category:Stainless steel